USA
US Congressmen Joe Wilson and August Pfluger have called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to engage with Pakistan’s military regime to secure the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. In a joint letter dated February 25, the lawmakers emphasized the importance of restoring democracy and strengthening US-Pakistan relations, which they believe hinge on Khan’s freedom.
A Call for Action
Congressman Joe Wilson, a key member of the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees, has been vocal about Imran Khan’s incarceration. Over the past weeks, Wilson has repeatedly taken to his X account to advocate for Khan’s release, describing the former prime minister’s imprisonment as “politically motivated.”
In their letter to Secretary Rubio, Wilson and Pfluger, who chairs the Republican Study Committee, wrote, “We write as staunch conservatives to ask that you engage with the military regime of Pakistan to free Imran Khan.” They stressed that Khan, who was ousted through a vote of no-confidence in 2022, is “widely beloved in Pakistan” and his release would “usher in a new era of US-Pakistan relations with freedom values at its core.”
Parallels to Trump’s Legal Battles
The congressmen drew a striking parallel between Imran Khan’s legal troubles and those of former US President Donald Trump. “Former PM Imran Khan has been the victim of massive judicial abuse, not unlike President Trump,” they wrote, adding that Khan was imprisoned on “trumped-up charges.”
Wilson, who is considered close to Trump, has consistently highlighted the need for Pakistan to uphold democratic principles. “Democracy cannot work if political opponents are unjustly detained on politicized charges rather than defeated at the ballot box,” he stated in a previous letter to Pakistani leaders, including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir.
Strained US-Pakistan Relations
The letter also addressed the broader implications of Khan’s imprisonment on US-Pakistan relations. “This suspension of democracy has strained US-Pakistan relations as the military regime has cracked down on dissent,” the lawmakers asserted. They urged Secretary Rubio to work with Pakistan to restore democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and fundamental freedoms such as press, assembly, and speech.
“We know that your goal is to have the strongest relations with every country in the world, and the strength of the US-Pakistan relationship hinges on freedom for Imran Khan,” the letter concluded.
Advocacy on Capitol Hill
The letter comes on the heels of Wilson’s recent meeting with Secretary Rubio, during which the congressman expressed his commitment to restoring democracy in Pakistan. “I look forward to working with him to restore democracy in Pakistan,” Wilson said after the meeting.
This advocacy aligns with efforts by the Pakistani American Political Action Committee (Pakpac), which has been organizing meetings on Capitol Hill to press lawmakers to take a stronger stance on democracy and human rights in Pakistan.
The Pakistan Democracy Act
In a significant development, Congressman Wilson revealed that he is nearing completion of the Pakistan Democracy Act. First announced in a February 13 post on X, the bill aims to “ban from the US those in the Pakistan military government responsible for the wrongful persecution and imprisonment of Imran Khan.”
The proposed legislation outlines several key measures, including:
- Declaring it US policy to restore democracy in Pakistan.
- Mandating a 30-day determination of sanctions on senior officials.
- Reviewing all senior officials and their families for sanctions.
A Stronger US-Pakistan Relationship
Wilson has repeatedly emphasized that a strong US-Pakistan relationship is in the national interest of both countries. “In over 75 years of bilateral relations between the US and Pakistan, our relationship has been at its strongest when Pakistan upholds its democratic ideals and the rule of law,” he wrote in his earlier letter to Pakistani leaders.
As the situation unfolds, the international community will be watching closely to see how the US navigates its diplomatic efforts to support democracy and human rights in Pakistan. For now, the call to free Imran Khan remains a central issue in the ongoing dialogue between the two nations.
